Safety starting device for internal-combustion engines.



J. M. RHETT. SAFETY STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 20, 1911.

1,039, 321 Y Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

a 2? M daiwesmf 3/201! 5111 L 0 1 I'm JAMES M. BHETT, OF BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SAFETY STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

Application filed June 20, 1911. Serial No. 634,348.

u all I/J/LIIHI/ it may concern Be it known that .l, JAMES M. Rnn'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaufort, in the county of Beaufort and State of South Carolina, have invented oer tain new and useful Improvements in Safety Starting Devices for Illttlllill-C(llllbUStlOIl Engines; and I. do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact: description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in starters for gas engines, especially for auto mobile and motor boat engines.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanical starter which will prevent injury to the operator by the backwardrotation of the handle on account of the kick back of the engine.

Another object is to provide a starter which does not require exertion on the part of the operator to connect it into clutching engagement with the engine shaft, and which will automatically disengage itself therefrom when the engine is properly started or kicks back.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of the parts hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper portion there of, Fig. is a view 'at right angles to Fig. 2, the disk beingshown in section to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 4 is a front view of a modification of the recessed disk, and Fig. 5 is a side view of same with.

the crank handle in position.

Referring to the drawings, the crank handle formed ofa lever 1 having a suitable handle 2 is loosely mounted on a stub shaft 3, to the outer end of which is fixed 'a ratchet wheel 4:. The crank handle is connected to the ratchet wheel 4 by means of a pawl 5, which is pivotally secured to'the lever 1 near the edge thereof, as at 6, in such a manner that the outer edge 7 of the outer end 8 extends beyond the edge of the lever 1. A coil spring9 interposes between the outer end of the pawl 5 and a lug 1.0 on the lever 1 tends -to press the pawl into'engagement with the ratchet wheel 4. Pivotally con-- pawl 5 out of engagement with the ratchet nected to the lever is a latch 11 for auto-- matically engaging the outer end S of the pawl 5 to hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. The latch is provided with a thumb lever 12, which is pressed inwardly against the action of a coil spring 13 interposed between the same and a lug 1. 1- of the lever 1 and causes the latch to release the pawl, which will be 6 forced into engagement with the ratchet wheel 4 by the spring 9.

Loosely mounted on the stub shaft 3 is a disk 15 having an annular flange-16 which is recessed as at 17 for receiving t-he crank lever 1 and the outer end 8 of the pawl 5, which is adapted to strike against the wall 18 of the recess incase of kick back of the engine, and thereby autoi'natically throw the wheel 4.

The stub shaft 3 is journaled in the forked ends 19 of rods 20 and 21, which extend downwardly at an angle to each other and are telescopically arranged in standards 22 pivotally connected at 23 to bearings 24 rigidly fastened to a suitable support. The standards arc slotted longitudinally, as at 25, and the rods 20 and 21 are adjustably secured in the standards by means of bolts 8 26 passing through the slots and threaded in the rods. A side of the forked end of the rod 21' is elongated beyond the periphery of the disk 15, as at 27. and pivotally mounted thereon is a jam-latch 28 which is held in contact with the flange oft-he disk by the tension of a coil spring 29, and will allow the disk to rotate clockwise but prevent it rotating in the opposite direction. The stub shaft 3 may be connected directly to the engine shaft or geared thereto by means of a. chain wheel 30 fixed to the stub shaft between the forked ends 1}) of the rods 20 and 21, over which wheel passes a sprocket chain 31 for driving a chain wheel 32 on the en- 100 gine shaft 33.

In Figsfl and 5 is shown a modification in which a flat disk 34 of comparatively smaller diameter is employed instead of the disk 15 Extending radially from the disk 105 34 isan arm 35 carrying a pair of laterally spaced lugs 36, between which the crank lever 1 and the outer end 8 of the pawl is arranged in a similar manner as in the recess 17 of the flange of the disk 15, as already 110 described. i

The operation. foll0ws:-Assuming that the thumb lever 12 has been pressed in wardly by the operator to release the outer end S of the pawl 5 which has been forced into engagement with the ratchet wheel l 5 by the spring 9., and the parts are as shown in Fig. 2. By rotating the crank lever l clockwise, the ratchet wheel 4 will be rotated to start the engine. When the engine is properly started the teeth of the ratchet wheel will tilt the pawl and its end 8. will be engaged by the latch 11 under the action of the spring 13. Should the engine kick back when the pawl is in-engagement with the ratchet wheel, vthe outer end 8 of the- 15 pawl will strike against the wall '18 of the recess of the disk 15, which is held against counter-clockwise rotation by the janrlatoh 28 and the pawl will be rocked on its pivot i and disengaged fromthe ratcheuwheel,

2 thereby preventing the backward rotation of the crank handle and injury to the op:

orator.- I

Although the elements set forth and described are well adapted to accomplish the 2 purposes for which theyare intended, it is to be understood that slight changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without sac rificing any advantages; or depart-ing from 30 the spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a gas engine starter, the combination of a ratchet wheel, means connecting. the

ratchet wheelto' an engine shaft, a lever, a pawl pivoted to the lever for engaging the ratchet wheel, a disk provided with abutments, the lever and outer ends of the pawl being arranged between said abut- 40 ments, means for holding the disk against backward rotation, and means for holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a gas engine starter, the combination of an engine shaft, a shaft connected to be driven by the engine shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the second shaft, a lover, a pawl pivoted to the lever for engaging the wheel and having-an. edge extending beyond an edge of the lever, a disk loosely mounted on the second shaft and provided with-abut ments, the leyer'andouter end of the pawl being arranged between said abutments, a spring tendingto press the pawl into en gagement with the ratchet wheel, said second shaft being journaled in an anchored rod, a jam-latch carried by the rod for preventing backward rotation of the disk, and means for automatically engaging the pawl to hold it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

In a gas ngine starter, the combination of an engine shaft, a shaft-connected to be drlven by the engine shaft, a ratchet wheel ments, the lever and outer end of the pawl pivoted to the lever for engaging the ratchet wheel and having an edge extending beyond an edge of the lever, a disk loosely mounted on the second shaft and provided with abutbeing arranged between said abutments, a

spring tending to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel, said sec ond shaft being journaled in a pair of rods extending at an angle to each other, stand- 7 ards for adjustably supporting the rods, ajanrlatch carried by one of the rods for pre ,venting backward rotation of said disk, and

means for adjustably engaging the pawl to hold it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

at. In a gas engine starter, the combination of an engine shaft, a shaft connected. to be driven by the engine shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the 'econd shaft, a lever, a pawl pivoted to the lever for engagii'ag the ratchet wheel and having an edge 0. ading beyond an edge of the lever, a disk loosely mounted on the second shaft and provided with abutments, the lever and outer end of the pawl being arranged bctween said abutments, a spring tending to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel, said second shaft being one na-led in a pair of rods extending at an angle to each other, standards for adjustably supporting the rods, the free end of one of the rods being elongated beyond the periphery of the disk, a jam-latch carried thereby for preventing backward rotation of the disk, and a spring actuated latch for engaging the pawl to hold it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a gas engine starter, the combination of an engine shaft, a shaft connected to be driven by theengineshaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the second shaft, a..lever, a. pawl pivoted to the'lever for engaging the ratchet wheel and having an edge extending beyond an edge of the lover, a disk loosely mounted on the second shaft and provided with abutments, the lever and outer end of the pawl being arranged between said abutinents, a spring tending to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel, said second shaft being ournaled in a pair of rods extending at an angle to each other, standards, said rods being telescopically arranged in the .standards, the standards being slotted, bolts passing through the slots and threaded in the rods, the standards being pivotally connected to bearings, one of the free ends of the rods being elongated and c jam-latch for preventing backwar of said disk, and a spring act for engaging said pawl to in engagement with the ratchet wheel,

65 fixed to the second shaft, a lever, a pawl 1 stantially as described. f3?

('3. In a gas engine. starter, the combination of a shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a lever, a pawl pivoted to the lever for engaging the ratchet wheel and having an edge extending beyond an edge of the lever, a disk loosely mounted on the shaft and provided with abutments, the lever and outer end of the pawl being arranged between said abut-ments, a spring tending to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel, said shaft being journaled in an anchored rod, a jam-latch carried by the rod for preventing backward rotation of the disk, means for automatically engaging the pawl to hold it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means for gearing said shaft to the engine shaft, substantially as described.

7. In a gas engine starter, the combination of an engine shaft, a shaft connectedto be driven by the engine shaft, aratchet ratchet wheel, a latch pivoted to the lever,

and a spring for causing thelatch'to engage the pawl -on the backward rotation of the engine and hold it out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. RHETT.

5 Witnesses:

DANIEL H. WALKER,

W. S. CARSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. 0. i 

